No more waiting in line at the Turnage Theater. Now patrons of the arts can buy tickets to the shows online.

The Beaufort County Arts Council launched the new online ticket sales option on the arts nonprofit’s website last Friday. Until then, tickets could only be purchased through the theater box office.

“We’ve been intending to go with a formal ticketing program since we moved,” said Joey Toler, BCAC’s executive director. “We wanted to wait until our big series to implement it, though.”

For staff and showgoers, the online box office is a convenience. For BCAC members, it’s a way to get a discount on the upcoming MainStage series — a series of six stage events ranging from a Zimbabwe’s top recording artist to an arts salon. The first concert in the series will feature Celtic folk great Bill Leslie and Lorica.

Toler said the savings for members is just the first in a list of options BCAC plans to offer through the online vendor.

“For this first series we are not offering any group rates and we’re not offering cheaper balcony seats versus orchestra seats. Everything is the same price,” Toler said. “The only break we are giving folks is that BCAC members and patrons get $2 or $3 off the ticket price.”

When a ticket is purchased through the online ticketing service Vendini, a buyer receives an email confirmation and is given the option print the ticket out at home, or pick it up at the theater.

“One of the other important things you do now is reserve seats,” Toler said. “That’s another big plus about this now.”

In the future, special group rates, early bird rates and coupons will be offered for the bigger shows, while tickets to smaller events will continue to be sold out of the box office. For example, tickets for the last two performances of the Beaufort County Traditional Music Association’s summer series, The Pamlico Opry, are not being sold online. Right now, Toler said, BCAC staff is trying to keep it simple.

“The first time out, while we as staff got used to how this was going work, we’re taking it slow. The arts council is a very deliberate organization. It takes us time,” Toler laughed.

For more information about the MainStage series at the Turnage Theater, see Friday’s About Town feature in the Daily News. To order tickets online, visit beaufortcountyartscouncil.org.